Grateful Quest
by MisterP
Summary: Conclusion to the Daycare trilogy. As Angie is sent out to attain a special centerpiece for her family's feast, she will soon learn the true meaning of gratitude, as will others... Thanksgiving Special. Minor MorpheusShipping, AshxAngie, SatoAo
1. The Pursuit for the Beyond

**Okay, so I did manage to find time to write this. I'm not particular proud that this will be big, but it will finally conclude the **_**Daycare trilogy**_** and I can finally put myself to rest. This will be a two-shot plus epilogue, so stay tuned.**

**And now, please enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving…**

**

* * *

**It has been several months since that momentous incident. That previous experience had, no doubt, intrigued her curiosity about the world around her. Her name was Angie of Solaceon Town, and she had begun to yearn to explore beyond the protective walls of the Solaceon Daycare and out from the family business of raising other Trainer's Pokémon when the Pokémon Trainers themselves were unable to attend to that affair. Pokémon were known to be magnificent creatures with many unique abilities; there was never the same species with same characteristics. Like humans, Pokémon have their individual quirks and traits to differentiate from the rest of their specific groups.

For instance, Angie had learned about the roughest mating season for the Diglett and Dugtrio in the beginning of February… and unfortunately caught a glimpse of it in a cave when the Diglett she was supposed to take care of suddenly fled from her.

Following that life-changing experience, she and her friend, Shinx, dealt with two Voltorb whose volatility were beyond normal comprehension and threatened to blast them off into oblivion. From this specific day in July, Angie learned about explosion liberation and how all inorganic Electric-type Pokémon and Pokémon that are capable of knowing Self-Destruct or Explosion were very dangerous to be around as their ability to express their emotions would reach an unpredictable state to the point of their powers blowing up everything around them.

Yes, it was quite a life young Angie had dealing with these Pokémon. And now as the fall holidays have begun to approach, the tomboyish caretaker and her Flash Pokémon wondered if they would make another discovery of a Pokémon's dangerous quirks.

It all started out as a simple day. All the leaves in the trees have changed their colors from green into autumn shades of red, brown, and orange before falling away. Solaceon Town was at peace. Family members from outside places would come and visit their local loved ones living in Solaceon for the upcoming holidays. As with all holidays, most businesses expect some food markets were closed. Among the closed was the Solaceon Daycare as the family that ran it had its own traditions to follow through.

"Angie sweetie, are you going soon?" a tender voice called from within the house. From the front door of the house emerged Angie and her Shinx, apparently in a rush.

"I'm going to get it now, Mom," Angie replied back, calming down after her swift appearance from her residence. "I know how important it is for our feast."

"Okay, sweetie. Just hurry back before our relatives finally arrive. Just be thankful that all traffic is busy or we'd have to entertain them until dinner."

"Eh, right," Angie chuckled to herself after seemingly hearing her mother's faint sigh. "I'll get to it right now." She knew that her father went out to meet up with the rest of her visiting relatives from the Johto region and bring them back to their home, which left the task of decorating and cooking to her and her mother. Angie's mother was in charge of the feast, leaving Angie to find their centerpiece for the large dinner table to light up their home to effectively celebrate the holidays.

"Shinx Shinx?" Shinx queried, wondering what they were going after due to a momentary memory lapse. It other words, the Flash Pokémon forgot what they were after in the first place.

"Oh, Shinx," Angie sighed, shaking her head while quietly laughing it off. Shinx tilted its head to the side, mildly frustrated at its human friend's amusement in its own expense. "Don't you remember that every year families in Solaceon Town that are truly grateful for every blessing in their lives that has happened would express that gratitude through one symbol?"

"Sh-inx?"

"Yes, this one thing is none other than…" Angie held her breath for a dramatic enunciation of her final words. Shinx looked up to her, its eyes widening in anticipation. "The Gracidea Flower!" The daycare tomboy announced with enthusiastic fervor, spreading her arms out as a gesture to reach the heavens above and declare her zeal. Shinx fell over upon its stomach, both amazed and embarrassed by Angie's behavior.

"_Shinx…_," Shinx groaned, sighing as it watched Angie throw several fists high into the air, excited by the concept of it all.

"Come on, Shinx!" Angie called out; somehow, she attained several feet ahead of the Flash Pokémon. "Gracidea bouquets are very rare and are gathered once a year by a generous botanist from Floaroma Town, which is why my parents quickly called in to reserve a bouquet for the feast. If we don't hurry within the next two days, she'll leave town and we lose our prided centerpiece for the feast. Let's go!"

Shinx lifted its head up, having recovered from its brief self-mortification. Its ears suddenly stood up on end; the Flash Pokémon sensed some sort of movement aside from Angie's eagerness to celebrate the upcoming holidays. It swerved its head around to survey its surroundings and react appropriately to whatever it would end up dealing with. However, there was nothing around Shinx save it for a small garden of flowers belonging to the neighbors' houses. With a quick shrug of its shoulders, Shinx moved on to catch up with Angie and forgot about its paranoid anxiety, not noticing that a small bush of flowers in the garden closest to it had suddenly disappeared.

_Are they truly grateful…?_

_

* * *

_"Looks like it's that time of the year again," Brock commented, observing the slow descent of the sun into the mountains. He smiled fondly upon briefly recalling the adventure that he and his eager friends faced in the past lands of the Sinnoh region.

"Awesome, Gible! You're doing great!" Ash's voice yelled from the short distance away. The Breeder knew that the optimistic Pallet Town Trainer was training his newly caught Gible, helping the hopeful Land Shark Pokémon learn Draco Meteor, a very powerful move for any Dragon-type Pokémon to have in its arsenal. "Now Monferno, help it out!"

_It's times like these that make me glad that I have my own dreams to pursue,_ Brock thought, shifting his sagacious gaze upon Dawn, another friend of his and Ash's that was rising to become a wonderful Pokémon Coordinator like her mother.

"Mamoswine! Cyndaquil! Try the combination once more!" Dawn commanded excitedly, twirling in place as her way to sync up with her Pokémon's movements and actions. Mamoswine manipulated the form of its Ice Shard, breaking it apart into a small blizzard that encircled Cyndaquil, who in turn flared the flames from its back in preparation for its part of the combination. "Yeah! That's it! Almost there!"

"Hey, what _is_ that?" Ash pointed out offhandedly. Dawn fell over in abrupt disgust; her brisk anger threw off the timing of both Cyndaquil and Mamoswine, causing the ice to freeze around the Fire Mouse Pokémon into a deformed ice sculpture before ultimately melting away by the flames of an enraged Cyndaquil.

"_This_ was art that _you_ ruined!" Dawn screamed, explicitly directing her rage against a perplexed Ash.

"What are you talking about?" Ash asked innocently, genuinely confused by her harsh accusations for ruining her practice performance.

"He's talking about that flock of Shaymin flying to Mt. Coronet, not your pathetic Contest performance," a familiar rough voice explained bluntly. All heads turned discovering the Trainer who not only clarified Ash's fascination, but added an affront to the blue-haired Coordinator. It was very palpable now that _he_ was not the least bit interested in Contests, but displayed a sort of interest in the Shaymin in Sky Forme illuminated in the center of the sun.

"It's Paul," Ash, Brock, and Dawn stated, astonished to run into the surly Trainer on the way to Sunyshore City; the latter, however, was leaning more towards offended than astonished due to the insult she received. Paul did not look back to them, but merely stared off into the distance where the said flock of Shaymin flew off into with his hands tucked into his pants pockets. His expression, viewed from his hardened black eyes, was unreadable as ever.

"It's been a while," Ash muttered, a small surge of bitterness swelling in his throat. He still did not forget about the crushing defeat he suffered against Paul in their battle back in Lake Acuity. The Pallet Trainer realized how ill-prepared and reckless he was in their first full battle, resolving to reshape his style and tactics for the next time he would meet his greatest rival. "So I'm guessing that you're also heading towards Sunyshore City for a Gym Battle, right?"

"If you know me as well as you should by now, it would be a no brainer for anyone else," Paul replied indifferently without shifting his gaze away from the Shaymin.

"Hey! Ash just asked you a question, _politely_ if I may add!" Dawn intervened. "If you are, like we know you would, then I'm sure you've gotten even stronger since your last battle with Ash." Paul stayed impassive, most likely having ignored her question and remained with his cold, faraway look. Dawn's resentment towards his rude attitude was slowly getting the better of her, but Brock managed to calm her down by pulling her back while he tried talking to the preoccupied Trainer.

"So, Paul, since the holidays are coming up, is there anything you want to express gratitude towards?" Brock asked, attempting to quiet the restless hostilities between his friends and the lone Veilstone Trainer. Merely out of mild respect, Paul turned to face Brock and simply answer his question.

"For one thing, I guess that I'm thankful for having the tolerance to deal with this world's incompetence," Paul replied, not looking at anyone or anything in particular, but the others had a feeling of what his callous implications were. "I'm surprised that you would ask me such a thing just like that."

"We mean you no harm, Paul, but know that like you, Ash has been working hard on improving his Pokémon's strengths as well as his own battle style after seeing your true battle style," Brock explained; the Breeder had a plan that should benefit everyone. He slightly nudged Ash with his elbow, prompting him to step forward. "So how about a short battle to relieve the tension? Ash recently caught a Gible and he's really hoping to test the fruits of their training together. So, how about it, Paul?"

Brock's proposal surprised the entire company; both Trainers and Pokémon shared a subtle, surprised expression. Paul glanced at Ash with a brusque calculating look before shifting his glare down towards the three Pokémon by his feet: Pikachu, Monferno, and Gible. He recognized Pikachu's blinding speed and ability to use Volt Tackle. Though he did not like to admit it, Monferno looked better than before, but he still believed that the Playful Pokémon was still not much of a match for his own team. And then there was Gible, Ash's newest recruit whose strengths were currently unknown to him. Paul finally smirked as a response, grabbing onto a miniaturized Poké Ball within his pocket.

"All right then," Paul agreed, his tone calm and unexpressive. "This will be a One-on-One Battle with no substitutions and no time limit. Any other objections you wish to add? A handicap, perhaps?"

"Not funny _at all_," Ash muttered, almost sounding like a growl. He looked down at his young Gible, who nodded back and was extremely eager to fight for him. The attention of his eyes was captured by the group of Sky Forme Shaymin that was barely visible from the distance they covered during the confrontation with Paul. It gave him a warm feeling within his body; memories sparked within his mind, relaying a short montage of all his adventures in Sinnoh. _I'm grateful for everything. My Pokémon, my friends, the people and Pokémon I've met so far. I'll never forget my gratitude that helped me remember why I'm here in the first place…_

_

* * *

_"_Ah-choo!_"

"Shinx! D-Did you hear that?" Angie jumped from the startling sound. Shinx also became aware that they were being followed by someone, or something. "It must be my imagination." She wanted to mentally scold herself for being so easily frightened, but she wanted to be a better example for Shinx along the way to Floaroma Town.

"Shinx-Shinx Shinx," Shinx mumbled, frustrated from being unable to spot anything out of the ordinary. Its nose did not pick out any particular scents foreign from Angie's and its own, aside from the fresh aroma of flowers wafting in the field around them.

"Come on and let's go before all the Gracidea bouquets are all gone," Angie recalled, running off as the sun began to set. "Our family feast would be _nothing_ without them!" Shinx kept its mouth shut, still sensing as though something did not fit into place. Regardless, the Flash Pokémon chased after her and resumed their errand together.

Unbeknownst to either Angie or Shinx, a small creature uncurled itself from its hiding spot from within a small batch of flowers. Its sneeze was accidental; it did not know how or why it was timed to happen at that moment when the girl's Pokémon attained a strong sensitive after adjusting to its current environment. The creature had the capability of blending into the natural surroundings, which helped it hide from them. However, the camouflage would have been flawless if it were not for the fact that the autumn season had turned much of the flora from green to brown. Aside from that, its own flowers did not match the plants that it took cover in.

"_She's not grateful; she's not at all,_" it muttered as it continued to inconspicuously trail after Angie and Shinx to Floaroma Town.

* * *

**This is short, I know, but I did say that this would be two chapters plus epilogue. That is how I'm planning to end the **_**Daycare trilogy**_**; not the best way for Thanksgiving holiday, but what else could I have done. Probably more, but I **_**have**_** been very busy. If I can actually update within the next few days before I fly back to college from home after Thanksgiving break, then that's just fine.**

**Like its predecessors, this will have similar elements such as the Eastern Asia sneeze myth, small implications to MorpheusShipping, and special quirks of a Poké****mon in which no one has ever since before. So just bear with me for now.  
**

**If you would please review, it will be appreciated. Your feedback to this chapter is welcome. I won't bite… much.**

**Ciao! **

**And Happy Thanksgiving!**


	2. Trials of Gratitude

**Here is the last chapter, excluding the epilogue. I'm sorry if it was late, but for me, Thanksgiving break does not end until near the end of November. Anyway, as I'm sure that hopefully most of you know, parts of the first chapter was based from the preview of future Pokémon episodes in Japan, which included Ash training a Gible to learn Draco Meteor, Dawn practicing with Mamoswine and Cyndaquil, Zoey appearing with a Kirlia and Leafeon, and two of Ash's Pokémon learning new moves.**

**So now, please enjoy both this chapter and your holidays…**

**

* * *

**"Shinx! Get the lead out and move!" Angie cried, sprinting as fast and far as her feet could take here. Following behind her with palpably increasing fatigue was the Flash Pokémon with a rather groggy expression on its face. "This is not good! We slept it! _Slept in!_ My parents are going to kill me before allowing the rest of my relatives take their turns!"

"Shi-nx," Shinx groaned, shaking its head as the brisk wind pressing against its fur made it more alert by fully waking it up from sleep. Feeling rather refreshed from the run, Shinx sped up and sprinted alongside Angie down to the route to Floaroma Town.

It was the second to last day that the generous botanist of Floaroma Town would give out her remaining collection of fresh Gracidea Flower bouquets from her care. In exchange for these rare and beautiful flowers that represented gratitude, the receivers in turn must have gratitude in their hearts for all of the blessings in their lives, aside from showing thankfulness for receiving the Gracidea bouquet. These special flowers would definitely brighten up someone's mood if given to them as a gift, knowing that the giver appreciated and was grateful for everything the person had done to him or her. This day, however, was not looking too bright for Angie and Shinx as they had slept in at the Eterna City Pokémon Center.

The one day that their morning alarm malfunctioned and Angie failed to set up a wake-up call from Nurse Joy was the most crucial.

"Faster, Shinx! Faster!" Angie yelled, forcing her own legs to stride longer and warrant more ache in her burning slim thighs. "_AAH_! No holding back!" She bore the pain and coped rather well, opting not to scream or swear upon the gradual buildup and was determined to continue running for her life to Floaroma Town for the sake of her family and visiting relatives. She had to get the bouquet and make it back to Solaceon Town before the holidays officially started. Shinx shared the same steadfast persistence its best friend had, pale-bluish sparks crackling around its fur for an extra speed boost.

Unbeknownst to either of them, a small creature hidden amongst the flowers swiftly stalked them from a fair distance, scurrying within the beautiful plants at the grassy sides of the road.

"_This girl's as fast and as stubborn as him,_" it commented, picking up the pace as to not lose sight of the fleeing girl and the Flash Pokémon trailing behind her. Strangely, a contented smile had formed upon its small white face. _And that is why I'm so grateful that he was my friend…_

_

* * *

_"Alright! It's time for Coin Toss!" Dawn announced, proudly holding the wrist wearing her pink Pokétch high in the air, the shiny model refracting the bright morning sun. "What a great way to start the day!" It was time for the scheduled One-on-One battle between Ash and Paul, compromised upon yesterday. As the former's Pokémon were fatigued from yesterday's training session, Paul calmly agreed to the terms and waited for tomorrow with them. The day had begun and the battle was to start soon. Brock stood by the side next to Dawn; his offer to referee the battle was apathetically turned down by Paul, claiming that it would not take long and that there was no point to it. "Ash, Paul, call it!"

"Then I choose he-hea—!" Ash stopped, a familiar tingling sensation irritated his nose. "Hea—_Ah-choo_!"

"Ash, that's not a viable option for the Coin Toss App," Dawn commented sarcastically, shaking her head disapprovingly with a sigh.

"Hey, I sneezed; what else could I have done?" Ash argued, shrugging it off. It was weird, but the sneeze had helped him relax. It was as though the abrupt coincidence expelled his pent anxiety upon facing Paul once again, considering how ill-prepared he was the last time he faced the dark Trainer in battle. "Anyway, I call heads."

"Then tails," Paul added curtly. With a brief nod from Dawn, the young Coordinator activated the Coin Toss in her Pokétch. The virtual gold coin flipped up before landing back in the same spot it originally was. The side facing up depicted a sketch of a Magikarp.

"Wow, you must be lucky to get heads again, Ash," Dawn noted, fascinated upon recalling that in the past encounters with Paul, her friend called heads and won the Coin Toss. _Is he really psychic? He could've actually tried winning against Paul if he did predict all of his moves, but then again, Paul makes full apparent use of brute strength every battle. Even with predictions, is there any way that Ash could survive Paul's onslaught?_

"Right," Ash muttered, tightly gripping onto the enlarged Poké Ball in his right fist. Pikachu looked up to him, concerned as always, but confident in his abilities as a strong, competent Trainer. He had no doubts that today's match would reveal the progress of his unique battle style as of now. "Now Gible, I choose you!"

"Weavile, stand by for battle!"

Two bright flashes of white materialized onto the field upon release from their Poké Balls. On Ash's side stood the small and naïve Land Shark Pokémon; it eagerly waited to take on its opponent as soon as it took form from the light. Gible suddenly jumped back, startled by the vicious growl Paul's Weavile hissed upon breaking out of the white energy. Its sharp claws slightly extended, the Sharp Claw Pokémon immediately took an intimidating stance to further discourage and frighten the startled Gible.

"Just stay calm, Gible," Ash called out, gritting his teeth in frustration upon the fact that Paul purposely chose a Pokémon that had the type and power advantage over Gible just to ultimately prove to him just how blind his faith was and could possibly be. "I'm here for you."

"I hope you don't plan to continue preaching today," Paul muttered; his hardened expression continued showing his displeasure of Ash's battle style. "What happens to the weak, stays with the weak." Ash bit down on his tongue, preventing his own mouth from betraying him. He was not about to let his anger get the better of him and throw him out of sync with his Pokémon before the battle.

"We'll show how we are _not_ weak at all, Paul!" Ash shouted, declaring the first move of the battle with an open hand thrust at his rival's Pokémon's direction. "Gible, let's start with Sandstorm!"

"Gib-Gib-Gib-Gib-Gib!" Gible chattered, rapidly tossing up grains of sand in the air with its small chubby claws. The sand gradually cloaked the battlefield and the visibility of both Pokémon, yet Paul remained silent. His Weavile, on the other hand, fidgeted with the Sandstorm, irritated by the obtrusive bronze grains in its way. It covered an eye with its sharp claw, preventing more sand from blinding its sight.

"Get rid of the sand with Swords Dance!"

"Wea!" Weavile grunted, zealously mobilized into action upon command from its Trainer. "Wea-_vile_!" Violet energy emanated from its claws, extending out and forming into long sinister, sharpened scythes. Weavile performed tentative slashes with its extended purple claws in the sand cloud; the Sharp Claw Pokémon's increased power was palpable as the brief Sandstorm was split apart from Weavile's refined swipes.

"Gible, get out of there with Dig!"

"Gib-Gible!" Gible shouted, hastily burying a tunnel into the earth and out of sight. Weavile escaped the Sandstorm with a swift leap, landing right next to the hole where Gible once stood.

"Blizzard!"

"Vile!" Weavile growled, spraying a strong gale of frigid snowballs into the hole from its mouth, much to Ash's frustrated chagrin. He wanted to shout an extra command to alert Gible for an escape, but with the Land Shark Pokémon still underground and Weavile unleashing a powerful Ice-type attack into the self-made hole, there was nothing Ash could do. The ground briefly rumbled as a result of the prolonged Blizzard. Several cracks formed upon the earth a few feet away from the first hole Gible dug. The amount of cracks multiplied rapidly and Gible was forced through the earthly layer on top of a frigid updraft of snowballs and brisk winds.

"Gible, you got to get off of there! Use Sandstorm to cover yourself!"

"Gib-Gible-Gib!" Gible grunted, its mind and attention intently focused back into the current battle. "_Gi-ble_!" With a loud cry, a warm airstream of sand emanated from the Land Shark Pokémon's body, colliding against the Blizzard that carried it out of the ground. The Ice-type attack seemed to have melted away from the Sandstorm, allowing Gible to land back upon the earth with minor numbing injuries from Weavile's Blizzard attack.

"Metal Claw! Go!"

"Wea!" Weavile growled, leaping forward in a blur towards Gible with sharpened, luminescent silver claws on hand.

"Stop Weavile with Dragon Claw!"

"Gib-Gible!" Gible grunted, its own stubby hands attaining a powerful navy-blue glow before charging in to confront Weavile at the center of the battlefield.

The Land Shark Pokémon stumbled forward, quickly picking up the pace as Weavile dangerously neared it at its fleet velocity. Almost simultaneously, the two of them threw their attacks forward; the mere touch between sharp, opposing energies and claws caused an acute sound to resonate upon collision, as well as a minor explosion of black smoke as a result. Weavile was the first to escape out of the portentous cloud, retracting its Metal Claw with minor injuries to boot. Ash immediately tensed, worried about Gible's safety more than anything else. Before he had a chance to call out for it, Gible managed to jump out of the dissipating haze. However, it seemed to have taken a greater beating due to Weavile's enhanced ferocity from its earlier Swords Dance.

"Good job, Gible!" Ash praised; he saw that Gible was still eager to fight, even after its brusque exposure to Blizzard and the swift collision with Weavile. He noted to himself how far Gible's progress had been since its capture. Its desire to learn Draco Meteor was rather astounding and inspiring; Gible never gave up and neither did Ash. Their training together helped the both of them surpass their own shortcomings, but it was not over yet. However, Ash felt confident to test out how far he and Gible had come; he wanted to finally get Paul to acknowledge him as a strong Trainer. "We can do this; Gible, it's time to try out Draco Meteor!"

* * *

"Hold _everything_! We're here!"

"Huh? What's going on?" a young woman behind the counter of her outdoor flower stand inquired, glancing at the direction on where the shout had originated from. From the side boundaries of Floaroma Town, she discovered a familiar girl and a Shinx running for their lives just to reach her flower stand. "It's Angie."

"Forsythia, hold up!" Angie yelled, striding her legs widely as to leap closer and closer to her destination. She was aware that the botanist who collected and preserved the Gracidea for the holidays would always entrust her close colleague, Forsythia, with the responsibility of taking care of the special flowers just as she had with her berry garden. Angie and Shinx were nearing a sparse amount of meters left of the distance between her and her goal. "Please tell me you still have some Gracidea bouquets left!"

"Nice to see you again too, Angie," Forsythia replied in dry amusement, smiling at her rash antics as always. "So I'm guessing that you and your family want the usual?"

"By 'usual,' I hope you mean that you managed to save at least one Gracidea bouquet because my parents and relatives will kill me and have my head at the center of the table if I don't get it," Angie muttered while attempting to regain her lost breath from her run. She looked down at Shinx, who was also panting heavily by her feet with its tongue hanging from its jaw in dehydration. "You could have _so_ held it in, Shinx! If you didn't need to go for some potty break, then we wouldn't have lost as much time as we have." The Flash Pokémon rolled its eyes, half expecting this sort of exaggerated reaction from her. Nonetheless, Angie's usually heated actions cool down within a minute or so upon recalling her true directive.

"Hey, Angie? Lucky for you, I managed to find one Gracidea bouquet left in stock," Forsythia announced casually, holding out the rare bouquet of pink flowers with lush green stems and leaves held together in an immaculate white flower wrapping in her arms. "Here you go!" Angie beamed upon the sight; her brief infuriation with Shinx had disappeared without a single trace at all.

"Shi-Shinx…," Shinx mumbled, its expression rather deadpan from predicting Angie's behavioral patterns from rage to relief.

"Thank you so much, Forsythia!" Angie squealed, jumping for joy upon the wave of relief washing through her entire slim body. As she slowly reached her hands out to take possession of the precious bouquet, taking her time as to savor the graceful moment, the Gracidea bouquet seemed to have taken a mind of its own upon hopping out of Forsythia's hands. "Wha?!"

"_Not on your life!_" an unknown, childlike voice yelled; its origins have yet to be determined. The Gracidea bouquet was seen skittering down the road, past some befuddled pedestrians that immediately got out of its way. "_You're not grateful! You're not grateful!_"

"Hey! Get back here!" Angie screamed, her righteous fury flaring up once again. She took off like a rocket and left a minor cloud of dust from where her feet kicked up upon sprinting. Forsythia and Shinx were left behind, coughing in the Solaceon tomboy's fierce wake.

"Is Angie always _this_ hot-headed, Shinx?" Forsythia asked the stunned Flash Pokémon.

"Sh-inx," Shinx mumbled, tilting its head to the side to signify its lack of knowledge of its own Trainer and best friend. _At least anyone can find a match of her in Ash. Who knew from reading Angie's diary that she and Ash had so much in common, including that hot-headed streak? At least I know of it, and she will realize it soon enough…_

_

* * *

_"Giiiiib…!" Gible growled, zealously gathering its power into its stubby little hands. A bright, swirling orange sphere gradually took shape for all to see in awe. Even Paul secretly noted the potential of the powerful Dragon-type attack if the Land Shark Pokémon had somehow mastered the move, but he had not given his Weavile a command to interrupt the process.

"Why isn't Paul attacking while Gible's charging up Draco Meteor?" Dawn inquired, believing that the moment would be a perfect opportunity to strike.

"Paul wants to see the power of Draco Meteor in Gible's hands, just to get a feel of what he's up against," Brock explained. "Just like in his previous battles against Ash, Paul's carefully devised ways to counter Ash's Pokémon's moves with his own Pokémon's pure strength, even when improvised."

"I'll give him that he's smart, but things can change overtime before he can realize it," Dawn commented, confident that Ash would surpass the surly Trainer this time around. "I hope Gible's mastered Draco Meteor by now, considering how much it and Ash have gone through to practice it."

"Now Gible, get ready to—!" Ash began to signal the launch of the Draco Meteor, only to sense a familiar and mildly irritating sensation within his nose. "Ah-_choo_!"

"Gible?!" Gible yelped; its Trainer's sneeze threw off its timing for unleashing the power of its powerful Draco Meteor. The brilliant orange sphere held above its head completely dissuaded into nothing within one second, its energy dispersed harmlessly into the environment. Several expressions of widened eyes and gaping eyes ensued, all except for one with a dissatisfied, derisive smirk on his hardened face.

"I guess that's another point for that blind faith of yours, assuming that's what you wanted to prove to me," Paul remarked, his expression cold and condescending. It was no surprise that he was on the receiving end of a few vicious glares from his opponent and his supporters. "What a pathetic execution between an equally pathetic pair of Trainer and Pokémon."

"What?!" Ash growled, his anger nearly flaring beyond its limit. It took him most of his willpower just to prevent him from doing anything drastic to Paul, himself, or anyone else around him. However, he could help but see some truth in Paul's gruff insults and could not really retort back at him.

"Though you obviously have _good_ intentions about teaching your Pokémon powerful moves, you should have considered the full potential of them as well," Paul explained strictly. "For instance, you want to teach that Gible of yours Draco Meteor, one of the most powerful Dragon-type moves known in the world."

"What's your point?"

"Hmph, has the possibility ever occurred to you that your Gible cannot handle your expectations?" Paul asked; the meaning of his brutal, realistic taunt was becoming palpable. "Perhaps you're teaching the _right_ move to the _wrong_ Pokémon. That pathetic Gible's probably not even good enough."

"Wrong!" Ash interrupted fiercely. His sudden burst of defiance caught all of them off guard; his shared determination with Gible even wiped the smirk off of Paul's face. "I remember those words the first time we met, Paul, about the Starly I caught. There's something you should know, though." Before he even said anything more, Ash pointed solely upon his rather fatigued Gible, whose fighting spirit had not been put out by Weavile's Ice attacks as of yet. "Learning Draco Meteor was not my idea, but Gible's desire to become stronger." The tension of the moment was reaching its peak as Ash jerked a thumb in his direction this time. "You can insult me all you want, Paul, but don't you _dare_ insult my Pokémon and their hard work! If there's anything that I'm grateful of, it's that my Pokémon are always there for me and that we all help each other become stronger than before. Even with our current strength, we're still enough of a match for you! And we _will_ master Draco Meteor before the end of this battle!"

"Pika Pi-ka!" Pikachu concurred with the same steadfast attitude as his best friend's, electrical sparks crackling from his cheeks as a result.

"Gible-Gib!" Gible yelled in agreement as well, hopping up and down enthusiastically while kicking up some dirt into the air from its jumps. Paul looked unimpressed despite his idealist rival's childish claims, opting to recline back with his hands buried in his pants pockets and his eyes coolly shut.

"Hmph, so you think your faith and teamwork can beat me? Let's see you try it then," Paul announced, his fierce eyes jolting open in a flash. "Weavile, Beat Up!"

"Wea-_viiiiile_!" Weavile shouted ferociously, its dark cry echoing in the wide horizon. Several flocks of Starly fled from the trees nearby, having been terrified by the savage call of the Sharp Claw Pokémon. Ash, Gible, and all the others except for Paul covered their ears with their hands, trembling from this sinister power Weavile was conjuring up. At that moment, five bright flashes of white energy escaped from Paul's being, each taking the form of a powerful Pokémon from Paul's team as they took their places around Weavile.

"Tor-terra!" Torterra bellowed, materializing and taking its large shape from the light.

"Ur-ring!" Ursaring roared, angrily flexing its arms out as part of its intimidating introduction.

"Ele-boo!" Electabuzz hissed, static discharge furiously crackling in its antennae.

"Honchkrow!" Honchkrow screeched, ominously descending upon the ground and standing straight up arrogantly.

"_Mag_-mortar!" Magmortar growled, creepily leering down upon the little Gible frozen in fear from thinking that it would have to fight against six powerhouses.

"Hey! No fair! What's this having _six_ Pokémon against one?!" Ash demanded, furiously outraged by the sudden shift of odds.

"Beat Up is an exclusive move known to Weavile and Sneasel," Brock explained, recognizing the severity of the situation for his young friend in battle. "In battle, the Pokémon using the move is able to briefly call upon the power of other able-bodied Pokémon in its team in order to gang up on the opponent. That's typically the case, given their aggressive nature of attacking together in packs to overwhelm their prey."

"That's just not right!" Dawn complained.

"Piplup Piplup Pip-lup!" Piplup agreed, flailing his flippers to express his disdain as well.

"Cynda Cyndaquil!" Cyndaquil exclaimed heatedly along with Dawn and its rival for said Trainer's affection. Both small Pokémon curtly exchanged glances before directing their attention back to the ongoing battle.

"Well? You said that your faith and teamwork would help you win," Paul sneered, stating from what he had listened to Ash from before with his arms folded crossed his chest. "Do you think you can stand a chance against these guys all together then since you value faith more than I do?" His daunting Pokémon all stared down upon the lone Gible that had dared to oppose them. The Land Shark Pokémon, on the other hand, did not seem to look so well, but then again, that was what would happen when facing against six Pokémon bigger and stronger than it.

"Gible, hang in there!" Ash called out, ignoring all other environmental factors such as being outnumbered and being outclassed altogether. "We're not giving up no matter what! I believe in you!"

"How pathetic," Paul muttered to himself, sounding rather disappointed than infuriated at Ash's pointless tenacity. "To think, I actually thought that he's finally going to clean up his act." He looked upon the battlefield where his Pokémon were eager to fulfill their responsibility as part of Weavile's Beat Up. "Play time's over. Get going, all of you!" Upon the blunt command, all six of his Pokémon advanced forward, their relentless attacks looming toward the vulnerable Gible.

_This is our last chance,_ Ash thought, gritting his teeth upon watching Paul's team reaching closer and closer to Gible. _It's now or never. I hope Gible's strength is enough to last them all out._ The pressure was beginning to affect him badly, forcing him to lose his nerve. But it was time for him to fight back against those that would come in between his dream of becoming a Pokémon Master, something that he would always be _grateful_ for having. "Gible, _Draco Meteor_!"

* * *

"Hey! I know that you're around here!" Angie yelled, searching far and wide in the flowery streets of Floaroma Town with Shinx for her runaway Gracidea bouquet. Several pedestrians stepped aside from the strange tomboy thoroughly examining every nook and cranny around town. "Come out! Come out!"

"Shinx Shinx!" Shinx yelled out, scanning the area around it briefly only to discover a small green and pink blur scurrying away from behind. "Shinx!"

"There it is!" Angie proclaimed gleefully, quickly sprinting off to make sure the runaway bouquet of rare flowers remained within her sight. The rather sentient Gracidea fled into the northern forest nearby; regardless, Angie and Shinx gave chase to the special centerpiece for their family's holiday gathering and overall feast. "After it!"

The energetic duo entered in between the trees, evading and sliding through every stray branch and flora in their way. Even in the autumn season, the forest near Floaroma Town was gorgeous to behold and admire. The beauty within the flourishing plant life was to be recognized as the greatest gift for the Sinnoh region. It was once said that the land around Floaroma Town in the long past was barren and uninhabitable. That was until a miracle happened and the inhabitants eternally expressed their gratitude for being able to live in a place such as Floaroma Town as of now.

However, as days turned to months turned years have gone by, the true meaning of gratitude had been long forgotten and people claimed to be merely celebrating as an excuse for holding lavish festivals and unnecessarily extravagant events. Though people have begun losing their perspective over the holidays and what gratitude truly meant to them, there was a certain type of Pokémon determined to reignite the true meaning of gratitude into the hearts of humans and Pokémon alike, at any cost. Unfortunately, this Pokémon was also known to be incredibly shy concerning public places and exposure, which was why this Gratitude Pokémon worked in secret.

This was their way, and right now, one particular Pokémon was set on changing a young girl's heart for the better. This was for her to finally grow up and experience the world for herself.

_You'll see that this is for your own good,_ it thought, quickly scurrying underneath several bushes to avoid detection from its persistent pursuers. It smiled, thinking that its mischievous plan had finally come into fruition, but that was before it bumped right into a foot of another human carrying real Gracidea flowers, having just left Floaroma Town a while ago. "_What ironic luck!_"

"Ack!" the young man yelped. He felt something collide against his left foot, tripping him and causing his grip on his own Gracidea bouquet to become loose. "No! The Gracidea meant for me and my girlfriend!" After landing upon the ground with a thud, he had come to see that there were two identical Gracidea bouquets sitting next to each other. "What the…?! Am… Am I seeing things or are there really _two_ Gracidea bouquets?"

"Hey!" Angie's voice resonated, the volume and intensity increasing as she and her Shinx neared closer to where they last saw their escapee bouquet. "One of them is mine!"

"Oh, so sorry about that," the young man replied, getting back to his feet and dusting himself off. Angie and Shinx caught up to him, breathless from their vigorous run as usual. He merely smiled in politeness and observed the strange tomboyish girl reach down to pick up one of the Gracidea bouquets by her feet.

"_I don't think so!_" a childlike voice commanded, the sudden announcement startled Angie and the young man. It sounded like that of a little girl. Shinx leapt close to its best friend in a defensive stance, ready to protect her when necessary. "_You, of all people, don't deserve these flowers!_"

"Says who?!" Angie demanded, stomping her foot tentatively near the bouquet, but made her power known through the force of impact on the bare forest ground.

"_I'm actually grateful that you asked,_" the same childish voice replied. The bouquet by Angie's feet started to glow brightly, the bright light overtaking a small radius of area. Everyone around had covered their eyes with their arms, unable to see clearly from the brilliant sensation. The phenomenon only lasted a few seconds, however. Angie was the first to see the result of the light.

"What in the world…?" Angie mumbled, falling into a loss of words upon the sight before her. A small, green and white reindeer-like creature with a red scarf-like appendage hovered right in front of her. Its facial expression signified its serious and audacious demeanor, yet it also gave off a playful vibe as well, making it not too unapproachable. "What are you?"

"That's a Shaymin, from what I've heard," the young man answered, feeling also wordless from the rare sight before him. "They almost never show themselves to humans and they have the ability to purify polluted areas and turn them into lush flower fields, like the ones in Floaroma Town. It's such a treat to see one appear before us now, especially in its Sky Forme." He looked down to his Gracidea bouquet with a knowing look. _Of course. It must have been exposure to the pollen of my Gracidea that changed it._

"Floaroma Town?" Angie repeated incredulously, calming down after gradually regaining her breath. "No way…"

"_You better believe it, Angie,_" Shaymin affirmed; its young voice had deepened slightly to match a boy's voice this time. "_Floaroma Town's one of my favorite places to visit, but that's besides the main point._"

"How do you know who I am?" Angie asked calmly, not wanting to stress the situation further with the appearance of Shaymin forcing her to think instead of act.

"_I've been watching you for the past couple of days, and frankly, you have no sense of real gratitude in you,_" Shaymin explained bluntly, turning away from her in a rather disdainful manner. "_You want only so much, yet you aren't satisfied with what you already have. If you act instead of whining about it like a spoiled brat, then I might deem you as a person of gratitude in her heart._"

"What did you just say?!" Angie shouted in outrage to Shaymin's comment, but was restrained and held back by the young man by the arms before actual harm would have been done. "You're just asking for a beating, you punk!"

"_This is just what I've been saying before,_" Shaymin sighed, its expression melancholy and regretful. "_You remind me of someone else, a close friend to be exact._" Angie cooled down from the Gratitude Pokémon's brief explanation, feeling a surge of shame welling within her being. She looked remorseful for trying to attack Shaymin, not knowing of its real intentions.

"I… Why?"

"Huh?"

"Why are you… 'helping' me like this?" Angie asked hesitantly, her arms falling limp at her sides once the young man released her. "Why me?" Shaymin gave a soft smile; it had just begun.

"_Like I said, you remind me of a close friend,_" Shaymin explained, hovering closer to Angie as their faces were merely inches apart. "_And I was grateful to him for helping and saving me._" The moment fell silent as peace and understanding had come together in their area, reaching its pinnacle in a matter of moments. "_But I'm afraid you still need to learn about being grateful, so no Gracidea flowers for you._"

"What?!"

"_Bye!_" Shaymin called back after immediately taking off before Angie had a chance to strangle its thin neck. It could have sworn it heard a few naughty words slip out of the Solaceon tomboy's mouth, but regardless, its work was done. _She really is like Ash! I bet she and him would be grateful to have each other once they finally meet! Hee hee!  
_

_

* * *

_**Yeah, so I've had a little bit of trouble making this, even though Thanksgiving is really over. But I did say that I was going to finish this somehow; all that's left is the epilogue in which all questions will and should be answered. I also know that Ash and Paul's battle here had taken up a major part of the chapter, but like its predecessors, this story will focus on both on Ash's and Angie's lives as their everyday interactions will relate to each other more than ever. It's almost like a dream come true, hence the minor MorpheusShipping… Okay, that was kind of lame.**

**If you would please review, it will be appreciated. Your feedback to this chapter is welcome. I won't bite… much.**

**Ciao!**


	3. Epilogue

**Well, it's been over a month since first published and I think now would be an appropriate time to conclude the **_**Daycare trilogy**_**. It's not Thanksgiving anymore, I know, but it **_**is**_** the holidays; it's not just in the appropriate time length. I finally get a chance to relax for the break before next semester, and man, I feel so refreshed, yet I'm now starting to shirk off… Ah, well…**

**Anyway, I think this should be an appropriate conclusion. If not, then I don't know anymore. I fulfilled the main objectives I presented myself: the aftermath of Ash and Paul's battle and Angie's future with her family and herself. Just read and review. Send whatever comments that come to mind; just make sure they're sensible enough.**

**So now, please enjoy this conclusion and your remaining holidays…**

**Ciao!**

**

* * *

**"What a _drag_," Angie moaned, unconsciously dragging her feet along the dirt road to home. Shinx trailed behind her, equally depressed upon their holiday failure. "How are we going to explain to the family that we were late in receiving a Gracidea bouquet and the only one we did get turned out to be a mischievous Pokémon?"

"Shinx," Shinx mumbled, shrugging with its head meekly lowered.

It was early morning the day following their inability to procure a Gracidea bouquet for the family feast. Angie and Shinx traversed their way back to Solaceon Town, having found their current situation hopeless to find another available bouquet of Gracidea flowers in time for the family feast. They trudged back home lifelessly, distraught on what punishment fate had in store for them. As they were nearing the Solaceon limits, however, Angie felt a strange emotion building up within her. She lifted her head up, new thoughts formulating in her mind.

"Hey… you know what, Shinx?"

"Shinx Shinx?"

"We may not have been able to get a Gracidea bouquet, but we've managed to get back home in time to celebrate with the family," Angie mused, a smile slowly stretching across her face. "Maybe it's a good thing that we still have each other. I mean, we've had good times with or without that centerpiece, as far as I can remember." Shinx began to share the same euphoric empowerment as Angie starting grinning optimistically. "Think about it, Shinx. Right now if that bouquet was as important as we thought it to be, then we'd be chasing after one for day and night, not knowing when we would be able to return home."

"Shinx!" Shinx concurred with an eager nod.

"Knowing my parents, they _must_ be worried about us. We've got no time to lose then! Let's go, Shinx!" Angie exclaimed, running into town with Shinx sprinting behind her. With a renewed sense of worth and gratitude for returning to their home, the duo went home with their heads held high and arms wide open to receive the love of their family in wait.

* * *

"Hey, family! We're finally home!"

"Angie! Thank goodness you made it, sweetheart!" Angie's mother cried delightfully, embracing her daughter with the power of a mother's concern for her missing child. "You're just in time to see the rest of the family!"

"Yet at the same time, you're late," a rather strict voice added. Angie felt a familiar chill down her spine as her father was seen approaching the front door from behind his wife.

_I should have known,_ Angie thought despondently, fearful of what her father was about to do as retribution for failing to bring back a Gracidea bouquet. _No, stay strong, Angie. Accept your responsibility, like a true traveling Pokémon Trainer would… if you were even a Trainer at all._ She felt imaginary, yet comical tears stream down her eyes, apparently having difficulty preparing for her father's punishment. What she did not expect, however, has her father ruffling her short hair with a playful smirk on his sculpted face. "W-What…?"

"You missed an awesome Trainer battle shown on live TV, but it wasn't just any Trainer battle hosted on Sinnoh Now," Angie's father continued, grinning at his daughter's bewildered reaction. "It was the one with your 'fiancé' in it." A bright scarlet blush lit up in Angie's face as she gaped widely.

"… _WHAT_?!" Angie screamed, greatly surprised to hear about _his_ battle being featured on television while deeply furious that her father was toying with her over her not-so-secret feelings for a certain roaming Trainer with the Pikachu. Shinx quickly ran inside and away from the small family reunion, knowing how viciously temperamental its best friend could be.

"Settle down, Angie; that live battle was over yesterday," her father chuckled rather sheepishly, attempting to stall for Angie's anger to hopefully subside soon.

"But we recorded it just for you, so consider it an early Christmas present," Angie's mother chimed in, her hands massaging her daughter's tensed shoulders. Angie took a deep breath and calmed down, her body relaxing into her mother's arms as the built fatigue from the past two days drained her.

"Just give me an ice pack and the tape you recorded his battle in," Angie requested in a deadpan tone, yawning as she made her way into the house. Her parents exchanged jubilant smiles, happy to comply with their daughter's wishes.

"Welcome home, Angie."

* * *

"_This is it! It is now or never!" Dawn cried, standing out of her seat with Piplup and Cyndaquil acutely watching by her feet._

"_If Gible doesn't pull off a successful Draco Meteor, then Ash will lose the match," Brock stated, gazing intently upon the wild battlefield before them. _

_On Paul's side was all six of his Pokémon; his inactive five were called out to the field via Weavile's Beat Up to serve in sending their uppity opponent into his place. Weavile was placed at the front and followed by Torterra, Ursaring, Electabuzz, Honchkrow, and Magmortar; they slowly began to charge in towards their lone opponent upon command. On Ash's side was an outmatched Gible focusing the last of its power into forming a Draco Meteor in its body. The situation was dire. Anything could happen and one side would take it all upon Gible's ultimate release of its attack._

"_Just wait, Gible, and focus on making that Draco Meteor successful," Ash muttered rather silently, strongly hoping that the attack would be enough to finish off Weavile. The Sharp Claw Pokémon and its comrades were dangerously nearing Gible, whose tiny body was bright in fiery orange light. "Now, Gible! Draco Meteor—Ah-CHOO!" The impeccable timing of his sneeze signaled the deciding factor of the battle._

"_Giiiii-ble!" Gible growled, strongly spitting up a bright orange fireball high into the sky. The spectacular, mesmerizing sight stopped Weavile and the rest of its team in their tracks, expecting to see the results just like everyone else around. Once the bright fiery sphere reached its peak, the fate of the battle was ultimately decided. All eyes tensed upon the deciding moment. A bright flash resonated from the sphere, exploding brightly into a ring of luminescent meteors. _

"_Yes!" Ash cheered, tightly clenching a fist to himself upon the small victory of Gible mastering Draco Meteor. The meteors descended from the sky and into the battlefield. Paul scowled and remained silent as several large meteors easily struck down his distinguishable Pokémon, forcing them back into their Poké Balls as a seemingly larger meteor struck down and overwhelmed Weavile from the sheer blazing force of the impact._

"_PIP-PIPLUP! PIPLUP!" Piplup screamed with his round eyes bulging out, hysterically panicking as a stray meteor had somehow fallen off course and made its way towards his location. It exploded and burned the poor Penguin Pokémon, too distressed to even complain about the rather ridiculous joke about it receiving Gible's failed Draco Meteor attempts._

"_Uh, Piplup?" Dawn asked, giggling weakly as the meteor's smoke fizzled from Piplup's body._

"_Pip-lup…," Piplup mumbled dazedly, sitting inertly in the meteor's crater._

"_This match is over," Brock declared, making the final judgment as the smoke and debris from the Draco Meteor cleared from everyone's sight. It was palpable that Weavile was down for the count, having faced Gible's true power when pushed to the limit. The Land Shark Pokémon, on the other hand, was barely hanging on. It was on all fours, gasping for breath from the effort it exerted to pull off a mastered Draco Meteor. "Weavile is unable to battle, which means Gible is the—!"_

"_Gib!" Gible coughed out, collapsing without an afterthought. _

"_Gible, no!" Ash gasped, suddenly concerned over his Gible's well-being over victory and ran to the battlefield to its side. Brock glanced upon the battlefield's new circumstances, rethinking his judgment as Paul simply recalled his Weavile and walked to the center with hands dug into his pockets._

"_You won," Paul declared curtly, glaring down at Ash and his fatigued Gible. The Pallet Town Trainer looked at him, perceiving his statement as an impossible anomaly. There was no way…_

"_Wh-What…? What did you say?" Ash asked in a shocked whisper._

"_You heard me right," Paul replied sternly. "You… won."_

"_But Paul, both Pokémon have fainted, so it can also be a tie," Brock intervened, but Paul shook his head. The Veilstone Trainer kept his usual indifferent scowl in place, seemingly unfazed by the turn of events of their battle._

"_What a fantastic battle, you two!" a cheerful, familiar voice announced as Dawn joined the group. The four of them saw Rhonda, the host of Sinnoh Now, and her crew approaching them in the middle of their ravaged battlefield. "Though I do feel bad for having your awesome battle recorded on camera without any of you knowing, you must know that it was one of the best battles I've ever seen!"_

"_Uh, thank you, Rhonda," Ash replied sheepishly, awkwardly scratching the back of his head upon discovering this. Rhonda merely smiled and pulled Ash and Paul close to her._

"_Listen, my crew and I have been traveling around Sinnoh to find worthwhile battles to show to the public, so if you don't mind us putting yours live on Sinnoh Now, we'll go ahead and use our recorded footage while getting you guys to say some words on the aftermath, deal?" Rhonda proposed._

"_Sure, that sounds fun," Ash agreed, facing Paul. "What about you, Paul?"_

"_I couldn't care less," Paul said brusquely, not even opening an eye to look at either Ash or Rhonda. "Just do what you have to do."_

"_Splendid!" Rhonda exclaimed, clasping her hands together in delight. "Now, if you both will just come here in front of the camera with me, we'll—OW!" The host of Sinnoh Now fell onto the ground when her head swiftly collided into a lowered boom microphone._

"_Sorry, Rhonda!" Jack cried, hoisting the boom microphone back into the air. Rhonda stood back on her feet, furious at both the incompetence of her boom operator and the slight mark the boom microphone made upon the impact with her face._

"_You idiot!" Rhonda growled, prompting a rather high-pitched shudder from Jack. "You're practically asking to be unemployed!"_

_

* * *

_"And thus wraps the end to a great battle between two powerful and well-known Trainers," Rhonda concluded, Ash and Paul standing at either side of her on screen. She held her microphone in front of Ash. "Ash, are there any final thoughts on your opponent or your Pokémon?"

"Only that my Pokémon and I will continue getting strong and Paul and I _will_ face each other again in the Sinnoh League Conference," Ash proclaimed, much to Angie's viewing admiration and Paul's minor irritation as he rolled his eyes and looked away from the camera.

"Good answer," Rhonda commented, smiling before handing the microphone over to Paul. "Paul, what about you?"

"Just don't let it go to your head," Paul stated, glaring at Ash, who was also staring fiercely right back, before resuming eye contact with the camera. "And there isn't anything else to know about me aside from competing in the Sinnoh League and taking over by storm."

"And there you have it, folks," Rhonda surmised, the microphone in her hands back in front of her. "That's this week's featured Trainer battle on Sinnoh Now. Tune in next week for the latest Sinnoh trends!"

The television was shut off. The screen became black, blank with nothing on. Angie placed the remote away, standing back on her feet with the ice pack still on her head. Yet despite her current discomfort, she felt something blossom inside her. She had a matured soul ready and eager to explore the world beyond the Solaceon Daycare, and to think it all stemmed from meeting and interacting with him that fateful year in Professor Rowan's summer academy. With a small smile on her face, Angie left her room with Shinx fast asleep by the foot of her bed. She went to the dining room, where a family feast devoid of the main centerpiece of gratitude was held… or so she thought.

"What in the—?!"

"Surprise, Angie!" her parents and the rest of her visiting family members exclaimed with what seemed to be a real Gracidea bouquet placed on top of a golden stand at the center of the dinner table. Angie could not believe her own eyes; she knew she came back fruitless.

"H-How?!"

"How what, Angie?" her father inquired. "How did the Gracidea bouquet you got managed to mail to us in time for our feast get here without being intercepted and stolen along the way, you ask? I don't know, especially since we were convinced that something happened to you that prevented you from making a hand delivery."

"Which was why we were so worried when you finally came home in the first place, dear," Angie's mother added, embracing her confused daughter again. "To tell you the truth, we didn't care if we got the Gracidea or not. We just wanted you safe at home to celebrate the holidays with your family."

"But it's still a good thing that both you and our centerpiece made it back in one piece," Angie's father commented, grinning. Angie, though still confused on how her family managed to obtain the elusive Gracidea bouquet, relaxed in the warming love of her family.

"Mom? Dad? I have something to say, to all of you present," Angie announced softly, getting out of her mother's hug and facing her visiting relatives around the table. "Everyone, I've decided that I'm going to become a legit Trainer as soon as possible." Her sudden assertion caused murmurs of awed astonishment to spread around the table. Even her parents were surprised by the growing change in their usually stubborn daughter, yet they made no objection to her choice for freedom. They believed that she had an ulterior motive for wanting to travel freely in the world, and she had the free agency to do so and pursue _him_. Angie's parents quickly decided that they were going to get tickets for their daughter for the next Sinnoh League Conference for Christmas, knowing that she would either still be at the Daycare or be a starting Trainer. "Maybe after the holidays or maybe next year, but I am going on a journey with Shinx as soon as possible. Having seen and raised many different Pokémon here in the Daycare, I've realized that I've been missing out. But I will always be grateful for my upbringing and the choices I've made up to this point, especially this choice to live on my own as a full-fledged Pokémon Trainer."

"Aw, little Angie's finally grown up!" one of her cousins remarked playfully, inciting lighthearted laughter all around the table. Angie fumed easily, quickly forgetting about her remaining declaration and chased after her cousin, even though she _did_ hold true to her words that she will start her own journey and see the world. While the family enjoyed the entertainment between the tomboyish hostess and her cousin, the Gracidea bouquet held at the center of the table shifted slightly in their direction. Everyone was too preoccupied with their family moments to even listen to the soft giggling the bouquet emitted.

"_She's just too adorable, but I'm glad she's finally grateful,_" the living bouquet mumbled to itself, a smile forming upon its small, hidden face. Its green eyes watched the family bonding together, particularly upon Angie being congratulated by her family for her decision on becoming a Pokémon Trainer. "_I'm grateful to have met her, just like when I met him. I hope they both meet someday! Hee hee!_"

* * *

"Ah-ah-AH-CHOO!" Ash sneezed, swiftly wiping his nose with a jerk of his thumb.

"Those sneezes of yours have become a saving grace or something," Dawn commented, skeptically eyeing Ash. "I think someone definitely has it out for you."

"Whoever she is, she probably can't wait to meet you," Brock said, grinning widely at his young friend. "I have to say, Ash, you are _definitely_ one lucky young man."

"Croagunk!" Croagunk screeched. Brock felt a sudden pain in his behind, feeling rather drained and collapsed.

"Why…?! What d-did I do to d-d-deserve that one…?" Brock moaned, falling face-first into the ground as Croagunk dragged him and followed Ash and Dawn.

"Sometimes, I think Croagunk goes too far whenever Brock has romantic thoughts, and there isn't even a girl present," Dawn mused. Ash shrugged.

"I guess it's because things just happen," Ash replied with uncertainty, glancing up into the bright blue sky with Pikachu. "Just don't expect what could have been. Make it happen yourself."

_**The End**_


End file.
